Sidoarjo district head Saiful Ilah, center, arrives at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in South Jakarta for a questioning on Friday.(Antara Photo/Reno Esnir)

Sidoarjo District Head Arrested in First KPK Graft Bust Under New Leader

BY :BERITASATU

JANUARY 08, 2020

Jakarta. The head of East Java's Sidoarjo district was arrested for alleged corruption on Tuesday in the first operation conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, under its newly installed leadership.

Saiful Ilah was taken to the KPK headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday morning for a questioning. He claimed to having no knowledge as to why he was arrested.

"I don't know. I have no idea," Saiful responded to questions from journalists as he arrived at the KPK building in South Jakarta.

KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said the case was related to fraudulent procurement of goods and services by the Sidoarjo district government, but did not elaborate on the details.

A press conference will be held later today when usually a KPK commissioner would brief journalists about the details of a case.

Two other persons are also in KPK custody but their identities have yet to be released.

Saiful has been leading the industrial town next to the provincial capital Surabaya for 20 years as both deputy and district head.

According to his March 2019 report to the anti-graft agency, Saiful has a personal wealth of Rp 60.4 billion ($4.3 billion), mostly in land and properties.

The graft bust was the first by the KPK under the new five-member chairmanship board led by Firli Bahuri, who was sworn in on Dec. 20.